Loop-forming and attaching device



May 17, 1938. J. D. KARLE LOOP FORMING AND ATTACHING DEVICE Filed May 13, 1936 2 Sheets-Sheet l grwc wfo'v I cb/in D. Karla WJ/tMom C May 17, 1938. J, D, KARLE LOOP FORMING AND ATTACHING DEVICE 'F'iled May 15, 1956 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 John D. Kamle I Patented May 17, 1938 LOOP-FORMING AND ATTAGHING DEVICE John D. Karle, Roselle Park, N. 1., assignor to The Singer Manufacturing Company, Elizabeth, N. J., a corporation of New Jersey Application May 13, 1936, Serial No. 79,430

23 Claims.

Thisinvention relates to sewing machines and it has as its primary object to provide improved means, preferably in the nature of an attachment designed readily to be applied to a conventional 5 domestic sewing machine, to adapt it to produce ornamental eifects and products not generally produced on sewing machines.

Stated more specifically, this invention has as an object to provide an improved attachment for sewing machines which will act automatically and continuously, during normal operation of the machine, to form loops of wool yarn, or the like, in advance of the stitching point, to feed the yarn loops to the stitching mechanism, by which they are attached at one end to an underlying base material, and automatically'to sever the opposite ends of the loops, the severed ends thereupon standing erect and producing a soft, nappy surface such as is particularly desirable in rugs.

This product, however, is not new, as heretofore it has been made by manually wrapping strands of wool yarn about a forked supporting member, stitching the loops thus formed to a base material, withdrawing the forked member and manually severing one end of the attached yarn loops, as by means of a pair of shears, or by a cutter attached to the forked member. manual operation, however, was slow and tedious and the quality of the product depended largely upon the skill of the operator.

This invention has as a further object to render available a simple and eflicient device which readily may be attached to a conventional family sewing machine and which, when so attached, will automatically and rapidly produce the above described product in uniform high quality, and without requiring the exercise of any great amount of skill or ingenuity on the part of the operator.

Obviously differently colored yarns may be used in various parts of the work, thereby producing color effects or patterns in the finished product, which is greatly desired in rugs, etc.

With the above and other objects in view, as will hereinafter appear, the invention comprises the devices,'combinations and arrangements of parts hereinafter set forth and illustrated in the accompanying drawings of a preferred embodiment of the invention, from which the several features of the invention and the advantages attained thereby will be readily understood by those skilled in the art.

In the accompanying drawings Figure 1 is a front elevation of the improved attachment, showing it applied to a sewing machine, one por- This.

tion of which is shown in elevation and another portion in section. r

Fig. 2 is a left side view, partly in section, of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a horizontal sectional view, substantially on the line 33 of Fig. 1 showing the major portion of the attachment in plan view.

Fig. 4 represents a central vertical section substantially on the line 4-4 of Fig. 1.

- Fig. 5 is a sectional view substantially on the line 5-5 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 6 is a view similar to Fig. 5 but showing, in addition, the base material to which the yarn loops are stitched and the action of the yarnwinding and loop-severing means.

Fig. 7 is a disassembled perspective view of elemerits of the yarn-winding and loop-supporting means, later to be described.

Fig. 8 is a perspective view of a portion of one product produced by a sewing machine equipped with the present improved attachment.

Fig. 9 is a detail perspective view illustrating the action of a yarn deflecting finger, later to be described.

Referring more specifically to the drawings, the

.- invention is disclosed as applied to a sewing machine including a head I carrying a presser-bar 2, a reciprocating needle-bar 3 carrying an eye pointed needle 4, a work-plate 5, a throat-plate 6, a slide-plate 1, and feeding mechanism including a vertically and horizontally movable feed-dog 8. Cooperating with the needle, in the formation of stitches, is a suitable loop-taker (not shown) located beneath the throat-plate.

As hereinbefore stated loops 1 of a wool yarn 1 or the like, are automatically and continuously formed in advance of the stitching point and parallel rows of these loops are stitched successively to each other or to a base material m, as shown most clearly in Figs. 6 and 8, as the loops and the material are fed past the stitching point by the feed mechanism.

The improved device which forms the yarn loops comprises a main supporting frame 9 adapted to be removably secured to the presser-bar as by means of a screw Hi. This frame includes a horizontal forwardly extending portion Ii and a vertically arranged portion I2 which supports elements of the winding mechanism, later to be described. To the end that the device may be attached to various types of domestic sewing ma chines, the shank of the frame 9 is provided with a plurality of apertures 9* through any one of which the screw in may be passed.

Secured to the under side of the portion II is a presser-plate |3 which overlies the base material m and normally holds it down upon the throatplate, so that it will be advanced periodically by the feed-dog 8, in the usual manner. The edge l3 of the plate l3 serves as a guide for the previously stitched row of loops, whereby the successive rows are spaced uniformly. 4

Within a circular cavity l2, formed in the portion I2 of the frame, is secured a hardened metal wear-ring l4, which, as shown most clearly in Fig. 4, together with the portion 12, provides a bearing for a circular disk l5 which constitutes one element of a rotary yarn-winding member or flier f. The flier includes, in addition to the disk l5, 9, ratchet-wheel "5 provided with five ratchet teeth IS, a tubular hub H to which both of the members I5 and I6 are secured, and a yamcarrying tube l8 which extends through both of said members. Yarn is led to the tube l8, from a suitable source of supply, through a so-called self-threading guide member l9, supported by the portion I2 of the main frame, and having its guiding eye coaxial with the center of the rotary winding disk l5.

Journaled within the hub I1, and held therein, by a nut 20, is a spindle 2|, having an enlarged shoulder 2| and a head 2|. Secured to the head 2|, as by a screw 22, is a sheet-metal arbor 23 about which the loops 1 of the yarn are wound by the rotary motion of the flier f. Intermediate the disk l5 and the arbor 23 the portion 2| of the spindle 2| carries a cylindrical member, or drum, 24 which is cut away at 24 to receive the shank of the arbor. The upper end 23* of the arbor is bent forwardly and is fitted within the member 24, as shown most clearly in Fig. 4. The member 24 has a portion of its periphery beveled at 24 to merge into the face of the arbor thereby to assist in placing the yarn loops about the arbor.

The flier ,f is given a partial rotation, of 72 degrees, at each reciprocation of the needle-bar. Thus in five reciprocations of the needle-bar the flier is given one complete rotation thereby placing the yarn loop completely around the arbor 23. This step-by-step rotation of the flier is effected by the downward movement of an actuating pawl 25 pivotally mounted on a stud 21 carried by a bracket 26, removably secured to the needlebar 3. The pawl is formed with a pointed end 25 which operates in a vertically arranged slot |2 formed in the portion |2 of the main frame 3 and engages the ratchet-teeth N5 of the disk |6. A coil spring 28, surrounding the stud 21 and having one end 28 engaging the pawl 25 and its other end 28 fitted within a groove in the bracket 28, normally biases the pawl in one direction to maintain the end 25 thereof in contact with the ratchet disk It. Thus at each downward movement of the needle-bar the pawl 25 effects a partial rotation of the fiier ,f. A spring-pressed retaining pawl 29, carried by a stud 30, secured to the disk I6 is adapted to engage teeth 3| provided by a face-plate 32 secured to the portion l2, thereby to prevent retrograde movement of the flier. The face-plate 32 overlies the marginal portion of the disk l6 and thus retains the flier in the cavity |2= in the main frame.

As shown most clearly in Figs. 3, 4 and 7 the arbor 23 is curved downwardly and rearwardly toward the needle and is provided at one side with a loop-supporting finger 23 which temporarily retains one end of the loop placed thereabout by the flier. At its opposite side the arbor is formed with an extension 23 which underlies a portion of the main frame 9 and preferably is secured thereto as by a screw 33. This extension 23 may also serve as a stationary cutter-blade as later will be described.

From the foregoing it will be understood that, during normal running of the machine, loops of yarn will be wound around the arbor 23 and, due to the shape and arrangement of the arbor, those loops will tend to slip down into the path of the needle .4. To the end that the loops will be pre sented to the needle uniformly, positively actuated loop-feeder fingers 33 have been provided. These fingers are formed as a part of a plate 34 pivotally mounted at 34 on the bracket 26, carried by the needle-bar. A coil spring 35, surrounding the pivot 34*, engages the plate 34 and normally holds it in the position shown in Fig. 2, l. e., in contact with a stop 33 provided by the bracket 26 and with the fingers 33 in vertical alignment with the upper curved portion 23" of the arbor. As the needle-bar descends the spring-pressed fingers 33 slide downwardly over the face of the arbor and cause the yarn loops to be forced downwardly thereon as shown in Figs. 2 and 6. To insure that the fingers will positively feed the loops and not ride over the same during the downward movement of the fingers, the arbor 23 is provided with apertures 23 into which the fingers 33 enter during their downward movement while the yarn loops are supported by the walls at opposite sides of the apertures 23.

As the yarn loops are fed downwardly on the arbor they are stitched to the body material m by the stitch-forming mechanism, as shown in Figs. 6 and 8, and fed past the stitching point by the action oi the feed-dog 8. Those ends of the loops which were supported on the finger 23 of the arbor eventually slide oil. the free end thereof and pass, uncut, beneath the supporting shank of the main frame 3 through an unobstructed passage indicated as p in Figs. 2, 3 and 4. Those ends of the loops which surround the opposite side of'the arbor are fed along the portion 23 and are severed by cutting mechanism, later to be described, so that the severed ends may pass beyond the end of the portion 23 when it is attached to the main frame. Although the drawings illustrate the preferred form of the invention it is to be understood that, if desired, the portion 23 may be detached from the main frame and the cutting mechanism may be omitted, whereupon neither end of the loops will be severed.

The means for severing one end of the yarn loops preferably comprises a vibratory cutteractuating lever 31 fulcrumed at 38 on a bracket 39 secured to the face-plate 32, by screws 40. At one end, the lever 31 carries a blade 4| having a cutting edge 4| which cooperates with an underlying stationary cutting edge 23 formed on the extension 23 of the arbor. At its opposite end the lever,3| has a curved upwardly extending portion 31, the inner surface 31' of which is normally maintained in the path of a roller 42 carried by the stud 30 which-supports the retaining pawl 29. During each rotation of the flier f the roller 42 engages the surface 31' of the cutting lever and swings it clockwise, as viewed in plan, from the position shown in full lines in Fig. 3 to the position indicated by dotted lines. This movement of the lever causes the cutting edge 4| of the cutter-blade to cooperate with the cutting edge 23* and sever one of the yarn loops sur-- rounding the portion 23 of the arbor. A leaf spring 43 secured to the cutter-blade 4| by screws 44 (which also serve to secure the blade to the cutter lever) bears upon the free end of the movable cutter-blade and yieldingly holds it into cutting contact with the stationary cutter-blade.

The retractive movement of the cutter-lever, i. e., the movement from the dotted line position to the full line position in Fig. 3, is effected by the action of a cutter-retum lever 45 fulcrumed at 46 on the upright portion I! of the main frame 9. This lever isformed with one arm 45, which abuts an upturned portion 31 of the cutter-lever 31, and 'a second arm 45 which, during rotation of the flier is engaged by a roller 41 loosely journaled on the yarn-carrying tube l8. Thls'roller tracks an annular groove 24 in the drum 24 and in its rotation engages and swings the lever 45 counter-clockwise, as viewed in Fig. 5, thereby causing the arm 45 to swing the cutter-lever to its retracted position.

As shown by Fig. 8, the severed ends of the loops stand upright and produce a soft nappy surface. By successively stitching parallel rows of the yarnloops to a base material and severing one end of the loops, as above described, an ornamental product may be obtained. This product is used rather extensively in the making of rugs. Various color effects and patterns may be obtained by the use of differently colored yarns.

To prevent the severed ends of the loops of a previously stitched row from being inadvertently engaged by the cutter during a subsequent opera-- tion, the cutter-lever 31 is formed with a guard plate or finger 31 (Fig. 3) which overlies the severed loops of a preceding row and holds them down out of the path of the butter.

Having thus set forth the nature of the invention, what I claim herein is:-

I. An attachment for sewing machines comprising a main frame adapted to be secured to the presser-bar of the machine, an arbor carried thereby, means carried by said main frame and actuated by the reciprocations of the needle-bar for winding loopsof yarn about said arbor and for presenting said loops to the stitching mechanism for attachment to a base material located beneath said main frame, and automatically actuated means for severing one end of said loops after they have been stitched to the base material.

2. An attachment for sewing machines comprising a main frame adapted to be secured to the presser-bar of the machine, an arbor carried thereby, and means carried by said main frame and actuated by the reciprocations of the needlebar for winding loops of yarn about said arbor and for presenting said loops to the stitchingmechanism.

3. An attachment for sewing machines comprising a main frame adapted to be secured to the presser-bar of the machine, a downwardly and rearwardly inclined arbor carried thereby, means including a rotary yarn carrying element carried by said main fame and actuated by the reciprocations of the needle-bar for winding loops of yarn about said arbor and for presenting said loops to the stitching mechanism for attachment to a base material located beneath said main frame. and means actuated by the reciprocations of the needle-bar for severing one end of said loops after they have been stitched to the base material.

4. An attachment for sewing machines comprising a main frame adapted to be secured to the presser-bar of the machine and provided with a cavity, an arbor carried by said frame, means including a rotary yarn-carrying flier Joumaled in said cavity and actuated by the reciprocations of the needle-bar for winding loops of yarn about said arbor, means for presenting said loops to the stitching mechanism, and automatically actuated means for severing one end of said loops after they have been stitched.

5. An attachment for sewing machines comprising a main frame adapted to be secured to prising a main frame adapted to be secured to the I presser-bar of the machine, an arbor carried thereby, means carried by said main frame and actuated by the reciprocations of the needle-bar for winding loops of yarn about said arbor, and means for advancing said loops along said arbor to the stitching mechanism.

7. An attachment for sewing machines comprising a main frame adapted to be secured to the sewing machine, an arbor carried th reby, means carried by said main frame and actuated by the reciprocations of the needle-bar for winding loops of yarn about said arbor, means including reciprocatory feeder fingers carried by the needle-bar of the machine and engaging the loops held upon said arbor to advance said loops to the stitching mechanism, and means for severing one end of said loops after they have been stitched.

8. An attachment for sewing machines comprising a main frame, means to secure said frame to a sewing machine, an arbor supported from said main frame, and means including a rotary yarn-carrying element carried by said main frame and actuated by the reciprocations of the needle-bar for forming yarn loops about said arbor and for presenting said loops to the stitching mechanism.

9. An attachment for sewing machines having stitching, mechanism, comprising a main frame, means to secure said frame to a sewing machine, an arbor supported from said main frame, means including a rotary yarn carrying element carried by said main frame and actuated by the reciprocations of the needle-bar for forming yarn loops about said arbor and for presenting said loops to the stitching mechanism and automatically actuated means, located to one side and rearwardly of the stitching mechanism and including a stationary cutter-blade and a cooperating movable cutter-blade actuated by the rotary movements of said rotary yarn-carrying element, for severing one end of said loops after they have been stitched.

10. An" attachment for domestic sewing machines comprising a main frame adapted to be secured to the presser-bar of the machine, an arbor carried thereby, a rotary yarn-carrying element carried by said main frame and rotated by the reciprocations of the needle-bar for winding loops of yarn about said arbor and for presenting said loops to the stitching mechanism, and means actuated by the rotation of said yarn-carrying element for severing one end of said loops after they have been stitched. Y

11. An attachment for sewing machines comprising a main frame adapted to be secured to the presser-bar of the machine, a downwardly curved and rearwardly extending bifurcated sheet metal arbor carried thereby, one arm of said arbor affording a stationary cutter-blade, means carried by said main frame and actuated by the reciprocations of the needle-bar for winding loops of yarn about said arbor and for presenting said loops to the stitching mechanism, and a movable cutter-blade supported by said frame and actuated by the reciprocations of said needle-bar and cooperating with said stationary cutter-blade for severing one end of said loops after they have been stitched.

12. An attachment for sewing machines comprising a main frame, means to secure said frame to a sewing machine, means including a rotary element actuated by the reciprocations of the needle-bar for forming loops of yarn and for presenting said loops to the stitching mechanism, a stationary cutter-blade carried by said frame, a movable cutter-blade pivotally mounted on said frame and cooperating with said stationary blade to sever the yarn loops after they have been stitched, means actuated by the rotary movement of said loop-forming means to give to said movable cutter-blade its cutting stroke, and other means actuated by said loop-forming means to give the movable cutter-blade its retractive stroke.

13. An attachment for conventional domestic sewing machines comprising a main frame adapted to be secured to the presser-bar of the machine, means including a rotary element carried by said main frame and actuated by the reciprocations of the needle-bar for forming loops of yarn and for presenting said loops to the stitching mechanism, a horizontally disposed station= ary cutter-blade carried by said frame, a horizontally movable oscillatory cutter-lever ful= cruineri on said frame and carrying a cutter= blade which cooperates with said stationary cutter=blade to sever the yarn loops after they have been stitched, a roller carried by said rotary element adapted to engage said cutter-lever at one side of its fulcrum to swing said lever in one direction, a cutter-return lever pivotally mounted on said main frame and having an arm in contact with said cutter-lever at the opposite side of its fulcrum. and a roller carried by said rotary element and adapted to actuate said cutter-return lever to cause it to retract said cutter lever.

14. An attachment for sewing machines comprising a main frame adapted to be secured to the presser-bar of the machine, a downwardly curved and rearwardly extending arbor carried thereby, means carriedby said main frame and actuated by the reciprocations of the needle-bar for winding-loops of yarn about said arbor, means including loop-feeder fingers carried by the needle-bar and cooperating with said arbor to advance the yarn loops to the stitching mechanism, and automatically actuated means-for severing one end of said loops after they have been stitched.

15. An attachment for sewing machines comprising a main frame adapted to be secured to the presser-bar of the machine, an arbor carried thereby, means carried by said main frame and actuated by the reciprocations of the needle-bar for winding loops of yarn about said arbor and means including loop-feeder fingers carried by the needle-bar and cooperating with said arbor to advance the yarn loops along said arbor to the stitching mechanism.

'16. An attachment forsewing machines comprising a main frame adapted to be secured to the presser-bar of the machine, means carried by said main frame and actuated by the reciprocations of the needle-bar for forming yarn loops and for presenting said loops to the stitching mechanism, means carried by said main frame for severing ends of said loops after they have been stitched, and guard means overlying previously stitched loops to hold them out of contact with said loop-severing means.

17. The combination with a sewing machine having a presser-bar, stitch-forming mechanism including a reciprocatory needle-bar and a. needle carried thereby, of means including a rotary yarn winding device carried by the presser-bar and rotated by the reciprocations of the needlebar for forming loops of yarn in advance of the stitching point, and means for advancing said loops to the stitching mechanism.

18. The combination with a sewing machine having a presser-bar, stitch-forming mechanism including a reciprocatory needle-bar and a needle carried thereby, of means including a rotary yarn winding device carried by the presser-bar and rotated by the reciprocations of the needlebar for forming loops of yarn in advance of the stitching point, means for advancing said loops to the stitching mechanism, and means actuated by the rotation of said winding device to sever one end of the stitched loops.

19. The combination with a sewing machine having a presser-bar and stitch-forming mechanism including a reclprocatory needle-bar and a needle carried thereby, of an arbor located in advance of the stitching point, means including a rotary yarn winding device carried by the presser-bar and rotated by the reciprocations of the needle-bar for forming loops of yarn about said arbor, and means for advancing said loops along said arbor to the stitching mechanism.

20. The combination with a sewing machine having a presser-bar and stitch-forming mechanism including a reciprocatory needle-bar and a needle carried thereby, of a loop-supporting arbor sustained by said presser-bar, means including a rotary yarn winding device carried by the presser-bar and rotated by the reciprocations of the needle-bar for forming loops of yarn about said arbor in advance of the stitching point, means for advancing said loops along said arbor to the stitching mechanism, and means for sever ing one end of the stitched loops.

21. A rug making attachment for domestic sewing machines comprising a main frame adapted to be attached to a conventional presserbar, a loop-supporting arbor carried by said frame, a rotary flier journaled in said frame and having a yarn-guiding eye, means including a ratchet mechanism actuated by a conventional reciprocatory needle-bar for rotating said filer and yarn-guiding eye about one end of said arbor thereby to place loops of yarn thereabout, means for advancing said loops along said arbor to the stitching mechanism, and means for severing one end of the attached yarn loops.

22. A rug making attachment for domestic sewing machines comprising a main frame adapted to be attached to a conventional presserbar and provided with a circular cavity and a connecting vertically disposed. slot. a rotary yam-carrying flier journaled in the cavity in said frame and including a ratchet wheel, a oooperating pawl carried by the conventional reciprocatory neeedle-bar and projecting through said vertically disposed slot into engagement with said ratchet-wheel whereby the flier is given intermittent rotary motions by the reciprocations of the needle-bar, an arbor supported coaxial with said flier and about which yam loops are placed by the rotation of the latter, means for advancing said loops along said arbor to the stitching mechanism, and means for severing one end of the attached yarn loops.

- 23. A rug making attachment for domestic sewing machines comprising a main frame adapted to be attached to a conventional presserbar, a loop-supporting arbor carried by said frame and providing a stationary cutter blade, a rotary filer journaled in said frame and having a yarn-guiding eye, means including a ratchet mechanism actuated by a conventional reciprocatory needle-bar for rotating said flier and yarn-guiding eye about one end of said arbor thereby to place loops of yarn thereabout, means for advancing said loops along said arbor to the stitching mechanism and means for severing one end of the stitched yarn loops.

, JOHN D. KARLE. 

